


Kindling Point

by sakarrie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Confessions, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Lance (Voltron), Hypothermia, Langst Halloween 2020, Oops, Pidge | Katie Holt Angst, Protective Lance (Voltron), Protective Pidge | Katie Holt, They're in a cave?, This really isn't halloween related at all, crushed, if that counts?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27311791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakarrie/pseuds/sakarrie
Summary: Lance doesn't know what's going on, but what he does know is that Pidge needs him and he can't move.
Relationships: Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 6
Kudos: 49
Collections: Langst Halloween Exchange 2020





	Kindling Point

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RosieClark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieClark/gifts).



> Hello! This work was created for the 2020 Langstron Halloween Exchange for Rosie!! Rosie, I'm so glad I got to make this for you and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for being the spectacular person you are and happy Halloween!
> 
> Also! I originally had a different idea planned out, but it got too long for this time frame, so I went with this. That being said, it's an established relationship Lance/Pidge solo mission gone wrong with lots of whump and angst on both sides. Since it was designed with Rosie in mind, I'm determined to get it to you! No idea when I'll get around to finishing that (probably not til after the semester), but I plan to post it here once it is!

Lance woke up to a strange combination of the white-hot pain shooting through his legs and the numbing cold ache that occupied everything from his ribs up. Shifting just seemed to amplify both, so with a quiet whimper, he forced himself to still.

"Lance?"

The voice was quiet and shaky, but even if the haze he was in, Lance could tell that voice should never sound like that.

"Pidge?" he responded, or tried to. His throat was dry and sore, and it was hard to shape words with the aggressive chattering of his teeth.

"Lance," Pidge said again, this time more a sigh, as relief flooded over the clear tiredness in her tone. "Come on, you need to open your eyes."

He felt a slight sensation in his cheek, and he realized that Pidge had been cupping his face. Even now, being aware of the hand there, he couldn't tell where the fingers ended. 

They felt nice though, what he could feel of them. The pain in his legs had started to settle down again, and, now resting in Pidge's hands, Lance could understand why he'd fallen asleep before. In fact, another nap didn't sound so bad.

"Lance!" Pidge snapped, the terror back in her voice, and Lance forced his eyes open a crack to see what had her so scared.

It took a moment for him to be able to see at all. There was a small flashlight about a foot away, but it was pointed in his direction so he couldn't make out Pidge's face.

"What's wrong?" Lance asked, finding the words much easier now that the shivering was dying down. He could just barely make out Pidge's hands trembling against his cheek. "Y'lright?"

One hand pulled away quickly and Lance could _definitely_ feel the sudden cold that took its place. Next thing he knew, the flashlight was being shined directly in his eyes, and wow, if Pidge wanted his eyes open, this was _not_ the way to do it.

"S'op it," he said, batting away at the flashlight. The more he moved, the more cold he felt, but at least the action hadn't set his legs back on fire. In his swatting, he was able to knock the flashlight out of Pidge's grip, and the ray fell on her face.

She didn't look too good. There was a small trickle of blood running from her temple that Lance certainly didn't like, but what was even more alarming was the look on her face. Pidge looked like she'd been crying and there was a desperation in her expression that he had only seen when she was actively searching for her family.

Pushing his head up, he tried to focus more. Pidge needed him. "Wha'ppened?"

Pidge bit her lip, and Lance wondered if she was going to bite through the skin with her intense shivering. Why was she shivering so much, anyway? Lance had stopped almost completely now. "You weren't waking up."

Her voice was small and scared and unlike any of the characteristics Lance associated with Pidge, and it was clear something was wrong before his slow brain finally processed the words. 

When he did, we wanted to laugh. Yeah, he wasn't feeling too good, but he was just going to take a nap. Sleeping is good for you. Though with Pidge's sleep schedule he shouldn't have been surprised she was so scared of it.

No, that wasn't right. There was definitely something more going on. Pidge didn't react like this anytime he was tired, so what was so different now? Maybe she was concerned about his legs being on fire? But they were pretty comfortably numb now, so he should tell her that so she'd stop worrying.

He tried to, he really did, but the thought of putting together the words to do so suddenly just felt like more than he could handle. If he could just rest his head for a bit though...

Lance hadn't even realized his eyes were closed until Pidge's hands were back on his face, shaking him. He wanted to call for her to stop, but he couldn't even get his eyes to open. Which wouldn't be a problem, except for apparently Pidge intended to shake his head until they were.

After what seemed like forever, Pidge stopped yelling at him and her motions slowed to general shaking, but it didn't feel like the consistent shudders that had been there this whole time. No, Pidge was crying.

The thought jolted Lance back from the brink of unconsciousness, but he still couldn’t get up the energy to respond. He tried to lean into her hold, the only way he felt he might be able to comfort her with the energy he did have, but he realized all his weight was already in her trembling hands. 

Even now being unable to understand the words, Lance could still make out the heaving breaths that broke them up, and he wanted to let out a sob of his own. He could feel the tiredness there, trying to drag him under, but Pidge needed him and he wasn't able to help. He was literally just lying there while his teammate was sobbing over him, probably begging for his help, and he was just ignoring her. Ignoring _Pidge_.

The distinction felt monumentally important that this was Pidge he was letting down, but his brain couldn't keep up with as to why that might be. Great, now his brain was starting to fail him too.

Then the drone that was Pidge's voice stopped, and Lance hated the relief that he felt as the silence lulled him further away from her. He fought to stay alert, to at least do Pidge the honor of staying with her through whatever this was, but it was like swimming through molasses and every time he thought he was making progress, he was just pulled down further.

Pidge's talking resumed, but this time it was short, followed by another voice droning back. Lance still couldn't make out the words and the other voice sounded muffled even to Lance's ears, but Pidge seemed to be calming down a little, so that could only mean that the rest of the team was here.

The realization was all Lance needed. Knowing the others could take over and help Pidge where he couldn't, Lance finally gave in to the beckoning darkness.

_______

The next thing Lance knew, he was falling forward in a puff of air. He was caught by strong arms, but they seemed to stumble under his sudden weight. 

"Lance! Thank goodness! You with me?"

Lance pushed himself up to find the person he was leaning on was Pidge. She was bundled in a lot of layers and had a bandage over her temple, but she wore a brilliant smile that Lance couldn't help returning.

"That's my name," he said. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "And I'm right here in your arms."

Lance wasn't sure what prompted him to say it, but the way Pidge's entire face went red was well worth it. Lance laughed and she shoved him lightly, though one hand stayed holding tight onto his suit as if she wasn't ready to let go yet.

Seeing this, Lance suddenly remembered those last moments before he drifted off, and he re-examined Pidge's face for anything he might've missed. Her eye bags may have been a little deeper and her nose was a bit red—in addition to the blush still scattered on her face—but nothing that gave a clear explanation to what had been wrong.

"What happened?" he asked, remembering asking it before, but feeling far more capable of understanding this time.

Pidge's grip tightened and her grin faltered. "Lance, you were..." She glanced away, as if looking for the right words, but by the slight waver of her bottom lip, Lance realized she was actually trying to hide how hard this was for her.

He pulled her in, which seemed to break the dam as her shoulders immediately started shaking. Now that his brain was functioning full-speed again and catching up on memories, he could guess what had happened.

The two of them had gotten separated from the team and ambushed while stopping at a stream to drink, being forced to run and accidently leaving their helmets back at the stream. 

Thankfully, they'd gotten away fine, but they had nowhere to go, no helmets or way to communicate with the team, and the planet's increasing low temperature was starting to take its toll without the full insulation of the suits. There was already a lot of snow falling and large piles started appearing on the mountainous terrain. 

Unfortunately, the hostile aliens had found them again, letting out loud screeches and triggering a small avalanche on the cliff directly next to them. Lance and Pidge had run for the cave in the distance. Just as they had gotten inside safely, though, a rumbling sounded above them, and Lance barely had the chance to shove Pidge out of the way before being crushed to the ground, passing out from the sharp pain in his legs.

It was a lot to remember at once, but it certainly put the memories of Pidge freaking out into context. 

Lance pulled the girl closer to him, feeling somewhat relieved to know the only thing wrong was that he had scared her.

"I'm okay," he whispered softly. "I'm right here. You got me out."

Pidge sniffled, pulling away so she could see his face. "God, you— you weren't waking up, Lance. And I couldn't tell if it was the cold or if you were bleeding internally— And there was this snap—" Her breath caught, and it was clear she was reliving the moment.

"Hey, hey! I'm fine, okay? All healed up." He gave her his most charming smile, hoping to provide some reassurance.

Pidge was still wiping at tears, though. "I know, I just— I can't lose you."

Lance nodded, having experienced the same worry before. "I know. The danger the team goes into everyday—"

"No, I can't lose _you_ ," Pidge said, eyes burning into his. Then, as if realizing what just came out her mouth, she backtracked. "I mean, I can't imagine losing any of the team, but today when I thought you were—" She swallowed thickly. "I think losing _you_ would destroy me."

The words were quiet but certain, and Lance was hit by what she was saying. "Pidge, I—"

"Don't." Pidge said, suddenly looking as tired as he'd felt back in that cave. "I shouldn't have said anything. It's not a big de—"

"No, I get it," Lance interrupted, hating the way Pidge had been shutting down. Apparently he'd said the right thing, because Pidge's eyes now bore into his with hope, though it was clear she was trying to act casual. Lance made sure to meet those eyes now so there would be no room for misunderstanding. "I get it. Back in that cave, I wasn't thinking clearly, but I could tell you were hurting and I couldn't help you. And it wasn't just that I was letting down a teammate that had me so upset, but that I was letting down _you_. Because you're not just a teammate to me, Pidge. You mean something way different to me than anyone else. I think maybe something more."

Pidge's eyes were shimmering again, but the hope wasn't being held back anymore, so Lance assumed that were good tears this time. 

They stood there for a moment, and just as Lance was starting to wonder if maybe he had said something wrong, Pidge seemed to find the answer in his eyes she was looking for and broke into a big smile. "You idiot," she said, all fondness in her tone and before he could reply, she had her lips on his.

Lance responded immediately, allowing himself to fall into the moment, but it ended all too fast. 

As Pidge pulled away, the tears started falling down her cheeks. Lance wiped at them gently, and she smiled up at him. "Don't you dare do that to me again," she said, and while it was in jest, there was a weight that indicated it was much more than that.

"Well, it seemed to work out pretty well for me this time." He smirked at her, and this time when she shoved him, she didn't hold back. 

"You're such a jerk," she laughed.

Lance chuckled, but quickly sobered, knowing that she needed to know he heard her. "You too, okay?"

Pidge immediately picked up on the reversion to the last question and nodded solemnly. After seeing he got the message, she took his hand. Raising an eyebrow at him, she said, "Next time you want me to kiss you, just ask. No almost-dying necessary."

He chuckled as well. "Sounds like a deal." 

They held hands for a moment, basking in what this now meant for them, before Lance spoke up again. "So... want to kiss me again then?"

There was a sharp elbow in his side that he definitely should have seen coming, but then Pidge's lips were back on his and everything felt perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you have a moment please leave a kudos and comment! <3
> 
> By the way, if you enjoyed this or are a Plance fan, consider checking out [this Plance zine](https://planceeverafter.tumblr.com/) I'm a part of! We've some seriously fantastic creators and there's merch too! Preorders are open!


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